diff --git a/modules/misc/dconf.nix b/modules/misc/dconf.nix
index 7d3a9731d..ef87f8972 100644
--- a/modules/misc/dconf.nix
+++ b/modules/misc/dconf.nix
@@ -13,9 +13,15 @@ let
     let
       tweakVal = v:
         if isString v then "'${v}'"
-        else if isList v then "[" + concatMapStringsSep "," tweakVal v + "]"
+        else if isList v then tweakList v
         else if isBool v then (if v then "true" else "false")
         else toString v;
+
+      # Assume empty list is a list of strings, see #769
+      tweakList = v:
+        if v == [] then "@as []"
+        else "[" + concatMapStringsSep "," tweakVal v + "]";
+
     in
       "${key}=${tweakVal value}";